Hymn of the Pearl

The Hymn of the Pearl (also called the Hymn of the Soul or Hymn of the Robe of Glory) is a poem preserved in the apocryphal Acts of Thomas.

Established The Acts of Thomas survive in Syriac and Greek and are usually dated to the third century CE; the hymn appears in only a few manuscripts.^[1] Tradition / belief The poem tells of a prince sent from the East to Egypt to bring back a pearl guarded by a serpent; he forgets his mission, is awakened by a letter, takes the pearl and returns to receive his robe.^[2] Scholarly debate Interpretations differ: many readers see an allegory of the soul's descent and return, sometimes linked to Gnostic or Manichaean ideas; others stress its Syriac Christian setting.^[3]

References

↑ M.R. James, The Apocryphal New Testament (1924). US public domain.
↑ G.R.S. Mead, The Hymn of the Robe of Glory (1908). public domain.
↑ Mead (1908) introduction; James (1924) notes.

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[1] M.R. James, The Apocryphal New Testament (1924). US public domain.

[2] G.R.S. Mead, The Hymn of the Robe of Glory (1908). public domain.

[3] Mead (1908) introduction; James (1924) notes.

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